From Umar Muhammed, Lafia
A combined team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Nasarawa State has foiled a kidnap attempt in Lafia, killing two suspected kidnappers and arresting two others believed to be part of a notorious gang that has been terrorising residents of Shabu, Sabon Pegi, Azuba, Bakan Ari, Kurkyo, and adjoining communities.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Lafia on Thursday, the State Commandant, Brah Samson-Umoru, said one member of the gang escaped with bullet wounds and is currently on the run.
Samson-Umoru, who assumed office on September 18, 2025, said the operation was the outcome of a renewed onslaught against criminals following his directive to strengthen community patrols and intelligence-gathering within the state capital and beyond.
“We have in our custody suspected kidnappers who have been causing sleepless nights for residents of Lafia and its environs,” he said.
“Immediately after assuming duty, I acted on the directive of our Commandant-General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to identify operational loopholes. That led to the creation of the Commandant’s Crack Squad and the reactivation of the Agro Rangers, who now patrol sensitive flashpoints across the state.”
He explained that the Commandant’s Crack Squad, working jointly with the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad, tracked the kidnappers during an attempted attack on residents along Shabu–Sabon Pegi–Azuba–Bakan Ari–Kurkyo Road.
“Our operatives engaged them in a fierce gun battle. Two were neutralised, two arrested, while one fled. We recovered an AK-47 rifle, a magazine loaded with 40 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, five phones, two knives, and charms,” he stated.
The operation, according to the commandant, took place around 7:08 p.m. on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
Reaffirming the Corps’ commitment to flushing out criminal elements across Nasarawa’s 13 local councils, Samson-Umoru urged residents to remain alert and share credible intelligence with security agencies.
“We will continue to act swiftly and decisively. Nasarawa must not be a haven for criminals,” he assured.
His remarks came amid renewed security concerns in the region. Governor Abdullahi Sule, who chairs the North-Central Governors’ Forum (NCGF), recently raised alarm over the infiltration of the North-Central zone by a Boko Haram splinter group known as Wulowulo.
Sule, speaking at a security stakeholders’ meeting in Lafia, warned that the development called for stronger regional collaboration and early preventive action.